New York City-based Chopt Creative Salad Company tops its Spicy Vegetarian Chili with Cotija cheese.

True Food Kitchen, a casual dining chain based in Phoenix, crumbles the Mexican cheese over its Grilled Fish and Grass-Fed Steak Tacos.

Last year, Mendocino Farms’ Summer Street Corn and Jidori Chicken Sandwich featured a Cotija-cheese spread. 

Quick-service chain El Pollo Loco incorporates Cotija into various menu items — the Double Chicken Avocado Salad, the Lettuce Tacos Plate and the Open-Face Tostadas — which pairs the cheese with other Mexican elements like avocado and pico de gallo.

Glass and Vine, in Coconut Grove, Fla., uses Cotija cheese in its Watermelon Salad. 

Alden & Harlow, in Cambridge, Mass., also uses the Mexican cheese in a salad. The restaurant’s Raw Pumpkin Salad is seasoned with jalapeño, pepitas, lime, basil and Cotija.

Besides Cotjia, other Mexican cheeses have been reaching the mainstream market, like Chihuahua. Named for the state it hails from, Chihuahua is a soft, white cow’s milk cheese. Cheesie’s Pub & Grub in Chicago adds the versatile cheese to its menu, which includes sandwiches like the El Jefe — comprised of ground beef, Fritos and Chihuahua.

Oklahoma City-based S&B’s Burger Joint combines homemade avocado queso blanco — a Mexican fresh cheese — with fresh avocado and a Tex Mex-style patty in its Alamo Burger. 

Plain “queso,” referring to the liquid cheese dip or topping served with nachos, has been embraced by more restaurants as well. Taco Bell serves green-chile queso as a side dish or as an accompaniment with chips. 

Fast-casual chain Qdoba introduced Bacon Cheeseburger Queso into its menu in January.